The insecurities creep into our mind filling it with lies, lies, lies. One being, "we aren't beautiful". Beautiful... It's a word that holds incredible power and drains lives like a parasite while also supplying just enough blood to vitalize our fear of not being beautiful.

Beautiful. It's a word that holds menacing clout and has been defined in a myriad of ways. A word that everyone craves another person will use to express them. (Except when it's told by a creepy guy whose lingering on your shoulder echoing it in your ear).

Although our society has resorted to words such as "hot" and "sexy", they do not have the same value as "beautiful" does.

No, no, no, not at all.

So, what is beauty or beautiful? Webster dictionary defines the word "beautiful" as pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

I could not disagree more. Beauty is demonstrated and manifested in an assortment of ways.

So often our society has made us believe the only ones who can qualify are those with a perfect body along with a perfectly symmetrical face, hair and the list goes on. Those privileged with gorgeous features are the only ones deserving of the elusive status, "beautiful."

Beauty doesn't discriminate; it often exposes a rawness, and strength, and is best seen when one is capable of maintaining a smile regardless of what challenge is thrown their way. Beauty is the way one thinks, having knowledge that surpasses the textbooks or Vogue magazines. Beauty is the ability to see good in others and the incredible talent of making people smile. Although it is often shadowed by a huge amount of worldly pressures, like something as temporary as looks, it is something we often cease to strive for, and, yet, many take drastic measure to get.

I am here to tell you, you are beautiful. No, it isn't that you are wearing the the latest trend or because you could be mistaken for a gorgeous girl in the magazines. Beauty is not determined because you have the hottest boyfriend on campus and he told ya so, so it must be true. You are beautiful because you are unique and have so much to offer to the world we live in.

So, ladies stop debasing your worth. Be one who isn't indulging in a man's playground or fantasy just to get a temporary worth. Don't allow this world to make you stare at the mirror picking your flaws, or believe that it's acceptable to glamorize or romanticize plastic surgery or justify addictive behaviors like excessive exercising or dieting. Your definition of beauty should be one that is based (presenting yourself is important don't get me wrong, but it's not who you are) not on looks, but your character and your ability to see good in others. Be kind-hearted, one who has a contagious smile, one who laughs easily and loves hard. Be the one who embodies the right to this elusive status. Beauty is feeling alive, being the one who is present in the moment. One who is genuinely happy and never allows any circumstances to come in between. Beauty is found within - allow it to manifest in all your actions. That, my friend, is beauty.